A toilet plunger is a commonplace bathroom accouterment. It is desirable to have the plunger at hand in the case of a problem, yet known storage devices are generally unsightly, unsanitary and take up a significant amount of normally limited bathroom storage space. In addition, unattached storage devices are susceptible to being knocked over.
It has long been known to store bathroom items in a cabinet that is partially or completely recessed into a wall. A typical interior wall comprises 2×4 studs supporting wallboard or panelling on both sides. Thus the dimension available for the recessing of a storage cabinet is equal to the actual width of the stud plus the thickness of the wall material the sum of which is about 3½ to 4 inches in most cases. Since the average diameter of a toilet plunger is about 6 inches, a recessed cabinet would protrude on the order of 3 inches, an amount many would consider unsightly.
In the prior art, the toilet plunger storage invariably sits on the floor. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,322 shows a combination storage and cleaning device for a toilet plunger. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,114,006 and 5,305,880 and 5,335,374 teach a storage apparatus wherein the toilet plunger housing is part of the toilet plunger. In all of these references, the storage apparatus is intended to rest directly on the floor.
Thus, a need has existed for an improved storage apparatus for a bathroom toilet plunger.